Three
by Voldemort's Spawn
Summary: Part 2 in the Date Series. Sequel to Movie Night. Tony decides to take Pepper's advice, of course, Pepper doesn't know that. Iron Man 2 Spoilers.
1. Prologue

**Three**

**_The Prologue_**

**Summary: After what Pepper said, Tony has decided to take her advice. Of course, Pepper has no idea. **

**This is the sequel to Movie Night. You don't have to read it to understand this story fully, however, if you love Tony and Pepper fluff you might want to check it out.**

**I own nothing... execpt the great banter that leaves Tony's mouth. Yea, I wrote that! :p**

* * *

Pepper jerked awake as her phone started ringing. Blinking, she looked over to her alarm clock. The green light beamed 7:30 am. Sighing, she sat up, reached out, and picked up her bedside table phone and glanced at the number. She should have known, she thought, flopping back down on her pillow. After another ring, she clicked the talk button.

"Tony, it's seven in the morning, what have you done now?" She asked groggily.

"You know it pains me to think you always expect the worst of me," he laughed lightly.

"Well to be honest you haven't let me down yet," she replied sharply.

She was normally a morning person, but it was the first Monday in years that she was actually able to sleep in and here was Tony ruining it. She knew deep down she should have known better then to think it was going to be easy.

"I'll make it up to you when you get here, how about that?"

"What do you mean when I get there?" Pepper glared at the ceiling. She did not like where this conversation was heading.

"You are coming to work right?" He asked nonchalantly.

"I quit Tony, remember? We were on a roof and robots just exploded." She didn't add the kissing part.

"Oh yea, you had a panic attack and I gave you mouth to mouth to calm you down. I remember that." She could hear the smirk in his voice. "But if you'll remember my dear Pepper, I hired you back Saturday. Remember Saturday?"

She smiled. Of course she remembered Saturday.

"That wasn't in writing." She teased.

"Please come back? You don't have to be CEO. Natalie quit too and I need someone I can trust as her replacement."

"So you're asking me to what, be the secretary with benefits?" She asked sarcastically.

"No, but since you asked I can look into it."

"You're impossible," she groaned.

"Please Pepper? Pretty please? With strawberries on top?"

Pepper huffed into the phone and after a moment, she gave up.

"Fine, but when I die from an allergic reaction, don't cry at my funeral." She said half jokingly as she sat up and swung her feet to the floor.

"Great! I'll see you at nine. Oh and wear jeans. Seriously; don't show up in dress suit or I will personally take you back to your house and pester you until you change." He hung up the phone before she could protest.

Shaking her head she clicked the end button and placed the phone back on its charger. She sat on her bed for a moment and thought about whether or not she was actually going to give in. On one hand, she did not want to work for someone she was technically seeing. It just wasn't ethical. On the other hand, she knew that if she didn't, Tony would a) bug her to death and b) end up in a big mess because frankly, she was the only one able to actually keep him in line.

Reluctantly, she got up and headed to shower. It was best to take the lesser of two evils, she told herself. After a quick shower, she stood at her closet and stared at her clothes. Once again she was debating internally. Pepper was fully aware that Tony's threat was not an empty promise, but could she really bring her self to go to work in jeans?

She answered her own question by grabbing the darkest and most clean-cut pair she owned. With the right dress top and blazer, no one would know she was wearing denim. She finished dressing and glanced in the mirror. As she had hoped, her dark blazer matched perfect with her jeans. Adding a few touches of makeup, Pepper grabbed her keys and headed to her car. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

**I know this is short but I wanted to get it posted ASAP, mostly because I don't know when I'll be able to sit and write again. That said, don't worry if I'm MIA for a few days. A coworker just quit and I'm helping to pick up the slack until we can find a suitable replacement. I'm crossing my fingers that a friend is transferred from another store (yea, I work at a store. College life rocks) instead of having to train a newbie. Either way I'll be happy but I can still have my preferences.**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	2. Ch 1: PA's and Planes

**Three**

**_Chapter One: PA's and Planes_**

**First and foremost I want to apologize for grammar mistakes in my last chapter. I have a habit of writing when I get home from night shift and not proofreading. I reread this several time to make sure it was good to go, but I can't make any promises.**

**I'm so excited that so many people are enjoying this story! You guys keep me writing, so thanks!**

**Lastly, I also want to apologize if I get placement wrong as far as Tony's home setting. I'm bad at remembering where things go, so I just kind of wing it the best I can. If I do, let me know because it will help me out in the long run.**

**That said, Enjoy!**

* * *

"Did you tell her to meet you here?" Happy asked, glancing over to Tony. They were waiting inside Tony's half-reconstructed kitchen. While the walls and flooring had been repaired, several counters and appliances still needed replacing. Tony thought for a moment.

"No but it's Pepper, she has an uncanny sense to know where I am at all times." He smiled.

"Tony?" The call came from the front hall.

"Speak of the devil and she shall appear." Tony grinned and called back, "We're in the kitchen!" Happy shook his head as he chuckled. They heard the click of heels as Pepper rounded the corner.

"Happy, what are you doing here?" She asked, laying her messenger bag down on the floor beside her.

"Waiting on you," he smiled. Pepper looked at him bewildered. It was still early and she knew for a fact Tony wasn't needed at the office today as she had stopped there first. She saw Tony look her over and shake his head.

"Peps, I told you not to show up dressy." He said looking her over. He himself had on a simple t-shirt and jeans. Now he felt out of place, not that he'd tell them that.

"This isn't dressy. These are jeans; dark and professional looking, but jeans all the same." she retorted crossing her arms. "Why aren't you at the office? They told me something about how they weren't expecting you back till next week."

Tony only smirked.

"It's a surprise." He winked.

Before Pepper could ask any more questions, a short brown-haired girl walked past her, startling her. Pepper stared at the girl as she walked right up to Tony.

"Everything is all set, Mr. Stark." She smiled, handing him a thin stack of papers. "I also printed up copies of your reservations just as you ask."

"Gwen, call me Tony. If you call me Mr. Stark one more time I'm going to have to fire you." The girl's eyes widened. "I'm just kidding," Tony laughed, "But seriously, please call me Tony. Mr. Stark was my father."

Gwen nodded but appeared as if she still didn't believe he was joking. Tony glanced over to Pepper who was giving him her trademark 'explain… now," look. Tony brushed it off and smiled.

"Pepper, this is my new PA, Gwen McKinley. Gwen, this is Pepper Potts." The girl turned and smiled. After pushing up her glasses, she held her hand out to Pepper.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Potts; Tony has only good things to say about you." Pepper shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Gwen." Pepper smiled as genuinely as she could.

"Gwen, will you be a dear and go with Happy to make sure everything is packed?" Tony said taking note from the glare Pepper was giving him.

Happy chuckled to himself, but quickly dropped the smile when Pepper turned her glare over to him. Gwen however, gave no signs that she noticed the new tension. Instead, she nodded and as soon as she and Happy left the room, Pepper walked over to Tony.

"New PA, huh?" Pepper said sweetly while shooting daggers at him, "So if she's you're new PA, then why did you wake me up at seven-thirty in the morning asking me to come back to work? How old is that girl? She looks like she just got out of high school."

"College; she just graduated from college. Interviewed her last week and I must say, I was skeptical at first but she's turning out to be almost as good as you." Pepper raised her eyebrows. "Almost; I said almost."

"Tony, what is going on?" Pepper sighed. This time, Tony grinned.

"I told you, it's a surprise." Winking again, Tony walked around her and heading through the door. "You coming?" He said, glancing over his shoulder.

"I don't like surprises." Pepper grumbled, picking her bag up and following him reluctantly.

"Yes you do. After ten years, that's at least one of the things I picked up on."

Pepper rolled her eyes and silently followed Tony outside to the driveway where Happy and Gwen was waiting by the car.

"Everything is all set, sir." Gwen smiled as they approached.

"Great and right on schedule," Tony said glancing at his watch. "Now Gwen, while we're gone I'm going to need you to house sit."

"House sit?" Gwen and Pepper said in unison.

"House sit." Tony repeated, "Don't look so frightened Gwen," he said, making her blush, "I just need someone to make sure the repairs go as scheduled and JARVIS needs someone to talk to. Besides, Happy will be here, won't you?"

Happy blinked as he opened the back door.

"I will? Of course I will," he said quickly.

"See, it's settled." Tony grinned at Pepper who was still in disbelief.

"But I-I -" Gwen stuttered.

"Don't worry, JARVIS will alert me if anything happens and Rhodey just in case." Tony patted Gwen on the back, "Now I do believe we have a plane to catch."

"Plane?" Pepper asked, but her question was ignored as Tony pushed her gentle to the car.

"No wild parties!" Tony said smirking as he got in behind Pepper. Happy rolled his eyes as he shut the door.

"I guess I'll see you when you get back," Gwen told Happy as he went to the driver side.

"You better get used to it," Happy said before he opened the door. "It's always like this."

"I know," Gwen said, turning and heading back inside.

As Happy started the car and pulled out of the driveway, Pepper stared over at Tony who returned her gaze with a loop-sided smile.

"You have about five seconds to tell me what's going on." Pepper stated.

"If I tell you then it won't be a surprise."

"If you don't tell me, you'll be worrying about a lot more than just surprises." She said sternly. Tony huffed and crossed his arms.

"Well aren't you just a 'Miss-Party-Pooper'" He mumbled. He sighed and spoke louder. "If you must know, I'm taking your advice." Pepper blinked.

"Which advice?" She asked. She had given him enough advice to put Confucius to shame.

"The one from Saturday." He smiled.

Pepper furrowed her brows. She didn't give him advice Saturday. The only thing they did was watch a movie and she didn't stay long after. Now she was puzzled. Knowing Tony, his version of 'advice' was located light years away on another planet. She thought for a moment, going over their evening. Tony grinned when her eyes widened with realization.

"Anthony Edward Stark, kidnapping me is _not _considereda date!" Pepper exclaimed, hitting him on the shoulder.

"I didn't kidnap you, you came willingly. Right, Happy? Ow, Pepper. Do you see this? I'm being abused. You're a witness!" Tony said loudly as Pepper hit him again twice.

Happy could only laugh heartily as he caught a glimpse in the rearview mirror.

"I can not believe you!" Pepper huffed, scooting as far away from Tony as she could. "All you had to do was ask!"

Tony frowned, "But I did ask and you told me no."

"So you trick me? And Venice doesn't count."

"Well I'm asking now. Pepper would you like hop on a plane and come away with me for a few days? And stop making faces Happy, you're ruining the moment." He added, catching the disgusted look Happy made in the mirror.

"I'll think about it," she said after a moment.

"Well, think about it fast because we're almost to the airport and I will carry you onboard if I have to."

Pepper looked Tony over. Once again, she told herself that his threats were not empty ones. Sighing loudly, she gave up.

"Fine."

"That's the spirit!" Tony cheered.

"How long are we going to be gone?" She asked knowing he probably wouldn't tell her. "And what am I supposed to wear? It's not like I had time to pack." She added, hoping maybe it was something he didn't think about. If so, she could probably talk him out of this.

"I had Gwen order you some new clothes. Don't worry, she has impeccable taste and they're all Tony approved." He said nonchalantly.

Pepper honestly didn't know what to say, so she asked the first thing that came to her mind.

"How do you know they'll fit?"

"I went by the measures used for that green dress I bought you for your birthday a while back."

They both knew that technically she bought the dress for herself with Tony's money, but since Tony didn't object to the purchase, they made an unspoken agreement to just consider it a present he gave her.

"Oh and I had Gwen sneak into your apartment last week while you were away. That's how I determined she was a keeper." He winked.

"You're unbelievable."

"Okay kids, we're here," Happy said jokingly, putting the car into park.

"Ready, dear?" Tony asked playfully, opening the door and stepping out.

"If I'm not, it doesn't really matter does it?" She replied, doing her best to hold back a grin as she followed shortly behind.

The sun was bright reflecting off the asphalt of the airport runway and Pepper wished she had brought her sunglasses. Placing a hand above her eyes, she turned just in time to see Happy shut the trunk and an attendant wheel away what had to be luggage. She tried to see just _how _much luggage, but Tony took a side step to block her view.

"No cheating," He said. Tony looked a quick glance behind him to make sure the trolley was out of view and then headed to the small jet several yards from them.

"Where are we going?" Pepper asked again, hurrying to catch up with him.

"I'll give you a hint: it starts with a P."

"Paris?"

Tony laughed, "Not even close."

"Hmm… can I get another hint?"

Tony didn't respond as he walked up the stairs and entered the plane. Pepper shook her head and smiled at Happy who was waiting near the steps.

"I promise this won't turn out bad," He said as Pepper grabbed the railing.

"I guess I'll take your word for it. Goodbye, and keep that an eye on that Gwen girl. She seems alright, but knowing Tony he probably didn't even run a background check."

Pepper stepped up just as Tony peered around the door.

"You're slow as Christmas." He said. "Oh, see you later Happy. No wild parties. Okay maybe one, but be careful around the walls, they're new."

"Have fun." Happy laughed.

Pepper waved as she climb the steps, Tony moving aside to let her in. She followed him over to the seats as a flight attendant closed the door.

"Can I have another hint?" she asked.

"Hark, did I just hear a hint of interest?" Tony said and pretended to look surprised.

"Maybe," she said slyly.

"In that case, where we're going is not in this country."

"If it's not Paris, then I'm still lost."

"Good," he said as the jet started, "all the more fun for me."

* * *

**Hmmm, where oh where could they be going? ;P and you might not have noticed, but I abused a bit of my Author Power, namely in the form of the new PA. :p**

**Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be up soon!**


	3. Ch 2: White Liar

**Three**

**_Chapter 2: White Lair_**

**Wow this took a long time to write! Sorry about that. Between the hectic work schedule (which btw the girl who quit came back... yay T_T) and all the research I did, this is probably the longest I've spent writing just one chapter. **

**But enough of me rambling... enjoy!**

* * *

"Panama?"

"No."

"Prague?"

"No one goes to Prague, Pepper."

"How about Peru?"

"Not even close."

Pepper and Tony had been at this game for over an hour. She used her iPhone to look up numerous countries and cites that started with P and listed them as she came to them. So far, none of them seemed to be the one Tony had chosen. She was starting to think that maybe he was lying.

"Pakistan?" She asked, scrolling down the screen.

"Okay, now you're being ridiculous." Tony huffed, flipping the page of the magazine he was pretending to read.

"Pemba?"

"I've never even heard of that word. You're just making things up now, aren't you?" He lowered his magazine and stared with a raised brow.

"No, it's in Tanzania." Pepper replied in a slight know-it-all tone.

"Does Tanzania even exist anymore?"

"Yes, Tony, it does." She laid her phone beside her and sighed. "Can't you just tell me where we're going?"

"Nope."

Pepper groaned and turned to look out the window. They were flying over water now from what she could tell.

"Relax, Pepper. I promise you'll live." He said.

He was right for once; she should relax. This was supposed to be the vacation she never got to take. Granted Tony was along for the ride but she didn't mind. He kept her grounded and reminded her that it was okay to be herself. Not that she would disclose that, of course.

"Wake me up then when we get there," she said, closing the window blind and adjusting in her seat to get comfortable. She closed her eyes and thought she heard Tony say something, but within minutes, she was out.

"Pepper… Pepper…"

She jolted awake as Tony shook her shoulder roughly.

"What?" She asked groggily.

"Wakie, Wakie, eggs and bakie." He said cheerfully. She rubbed her eyes and stretched.

"I just went to sleep," she yawned, "couldn't you wait?"

Tony laughed, "You've been asleep for two hours, Pep."

"Really?" She asked with wide eyes. "Are we already there?"

"Oh no, we still have a few hours." Tony smiled, sitting beside her.

"Then why did you wake me up?"

"I got tired of talking to myself."

"Couldn't you talk to the stewardess?" She said grumpily.

"She left. She got tired of listening to me talk to myself." Pepper rolled her eyes.

"Tony?" She asked, looking over at him.

"Pepper,"

"Where are we going?"

"Do you really want to know?" he sighed.

"Yes, in fact I'll love you forever if you tell me." She said leaning onto him and bringing her face an inch from his. She thought she had him when she heard his breath hitch.

"Not fair," he breathed. Pepper smiled from under her lashes which scrambled his brain. That woman had no idea what she did to him, he thought. After a second he regained his composer.

"Move in with me and we have a deal," he smirked, suppressing his inner emotions by hiding behind his normal demeanor.

"No." She said, pulling away.

"I don't know why you're protesting, we've known each other for over ten years. We're practically married!" He argued.

"That was a professional relationship; you were my boss. This is different." Pepper said in a placid tone.

"When you say it like that, it sounds as if you were my paid escort. Now that I think about it, you kind of were; without the sex of course. You know, you're a lousy escort. Ow." He said as she reached over and smacked him on the arm.

"I was more like your babysitter." She grumbled. "I feel for that new girl. I hope she knows what she's getting into." She added, thinking about his new PA.

"Oh she knows," Tony smiled. "In fact, she plays mother hen very well."

Pepper shook her head and rose from her seat. "I'm going to walk around for a bit." She scooted past him. As she walked away, Tony leaned over his seat and tilted his head.

"I've changed my mind," he said. Pepper stopped at looked back at him.

"Well?" She crossed her arms and waited.

"I like those jeans, they make your ass look great," he winked.

She scoffed and walked away.

* * *

As they stepped off the jet, Pepper looked around. It was nearing dark, but she could see the country flag near by.

"Italy? Italy does not start with a 'P'." She was following Tony toward a cab.

"I know that, I can spell you know." He said, opening the door for her.

"Tony, there aren't many places in Italy that start with P," she turned to the cab driver and asked, "What city is this?"

"Venice, madam." He said with a thick accent.

Pepper sat there for a moment staring forward as the driver started the cab. She finally turned to Tony, who was grinning boldly.

"You are the biggest liar I have ever met," she told him.

"I didn't lie!" He said, "We are going to a place that starts with P."

"But this is Venice!"

"You never asked _what_ the place was," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, "you just assumed it was a country or a city."

"Ok so _what _are we going to?" She gave up being mad; there was no sense in it.

"An art museum; The Peggy Guggenheim Collection to be exact."

"Really?" She asked, unable to hide her enthusiasm. She suddenly felt bad for being mad at him. He hated art museums and here he was taking her to one she had wanted to go to for years. "That's so sweet."

"I know and so unlike me, but first we go to dinner. Vini da Gigio se vi piace." He said to the driver who nodded. She looked at Tony in shock.

"Since when do you speak Italian?" She asked with an arched brow.

"Natalie taught me a few words." He said proudly.

"Is that why she was at your house all last week?"

"Of course; what did you think I was doing with her?" When she didn't answer, Tony laughed, "She's not my type. I like redheads," he added with flirtation.

"I would hope." Pepper replied slyly.

The cab took them to the dock and they took a boat to get to the restaurant, which was slightly surreal in a romantic way and the restaurant was beautiful. After a rather long dinner full of humor via the genuine friendliness of the staff, Tony looked at his watch as they got into another cab and he told the driver where they needed to go.

"Is it already that late? I guess we'll go to the museum tomorrow." He then turned to the driver. "Uh, Per l'Hotel Residenza Cannaregio, per favore"

"But the museum is closed on Tuesdays!" Pepper said after stifling a laugh from Tony's bad attempt at Italian. He eyed oddly, her making her blush.

"For normal people maybe," he grinned.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I don't know, what do you think I'm saying?"

"I think you're saying you some how bribed the museum to let us visit tomorrow." She smiled.

"When you say it like that Pepper, it sounds naughty."

"So you knew we wouldn't be able to go tonight." She playfully raised a brow.

"Of course I knew," he said as the cab came to a stop. "I have three dates to take you on. I can't use up all my ideas on just on night." He added smartly getting out and helping her out as well.

"Three?" She asked as they walked into the hotel.

"You said three was the magic number. Tonight, I took you to dinner. Tomorrow, the museum and the next day, well that is a surprise," he winked. "I'm catching up since I skipped ahead to a movie night by accident."

Pepper grinned on the inside and out. Tony actually was pulling out all the stops just for her. Her stomach flip-flopped. She had to be dreaming. The man she secretly fell in love with years ago was now returning the same feelings she felt.

He'd also changed, whether he knew it or not. Before he was kidnapped, he was reckless in all areas of his life, especially the romantic one. Every night was a different woman and Pepper was the one assigned to clean up the broken hearted mess he'd leave to be found in the morning.

But now he didn't even pay attention to the women who threw themselves on him. At the time, she thought it was odd but after learning he was dying (something she'd like to not think about now that he wasn't anymore) Pepper had something to pin the behavior on. Still, here he was with her, of all people. She was brought out of her revere when Tony placed a room key in her hand.

"What's this for?" She blinked, looking down at the card in her hand.

"I had Gwen book you a room. I figured since you didn't want to move in with me, sharing a room was out of the question." He said with his trademark grin.

"Of course it is," She replied quickly. She focused on reading the card to block any and all thoughts that might stem from the notion of sharing a room with him.

"The luggage should already be there," he said, walking around a corner down a hall, Pepper following him.

"What time are we going to the museum?" Pepper asked.

"Not early. I figured you should sleep in since I woke you up early. Your room should be close by," Tony said when they got to his door. He leaned in and kissed her on her forehead. "Good night Pepper," he said softly.

"Good night Tony, "She whispered as he went into his room.

After a second, she walked and found her own room which was three doors down on the opposing wall. Once more she smiled to herself as she opened her door. The room was quaint, the high wooden, rust colored wall, and the brown and orange bedding making a mellow setting. As promised, two suitcases were sitting next to her bed.

"Let's see what monstrosities you bought me," She thought aloud. Laying the closet suitcase down flat, she knelt beside it and unzipped the side. Flipping the top, she stared down at the neatly folded clothes inside.

"Figures," she laughed looking down at the array of jeans and stylish cotton t-shirts that filled the suitcase. Picking them up and looking at them closer, she was impressed with just how much she actually liked them. At the bottom were two pairs of shoes; one black set of low heels and one pair of plain tennis shoes. Socks and undergarments that was surprisingly not as skimpy as she had feared.

The other suitcase she found, held dresses; three soft sundresses and three semi-formal ones. She found three sets of pajamas and two more pairs of shoes, a set of flats and another set of heels were also at the bottom. The large outer pocket held a large bag. Inside the bag, she found shampoo, a toothbrush, and all the other token toiletries.

"I'm impressed Tony," she said aloud to no one in particular as she stood up. "That Gwen girl isn't half bad."

Grabbing a pair of the new pajamas and the bag from the suitcase, she quickly showered and changed. She didn't realize how tired she was until she climbed into the bed. Turning out the light, she fell asleep wondering what tomorrow had in store.

* * *

**Ok so all the places I named are real; I did my research. I may have gotten the part about the cab and boat wrong which I apologize for. I've never been to Venice so i just winged it. Also, shout out to the reviewers who ended up giving me ideas for places Pepper could guess. Thanks!**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading =)**


	4. Ch 3: Day at the Museum

**Three**

**_Chapter Three: Day at the Museum_**

**Oh my god! I finally updated! I know fall out and die!**

**Gosh this took forever and I'm sorry about that. I had to look up what the Peggy Collection actually had and then study it and write it like my old art history would. I'm also had to repress the urge to write another Shutter Island fic because it came out on DVD! If you haven't seen it watch it. If you think RDJ is amazing, Leo is just as sexy… okay that's just my opinion.**

**Anyways, I don't own Iron Man. If I did, I would be Pepper and Tony could take me to Venice. =)**

**Now for the long awaited update. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Pepper… Pepper…."Pepper snuggled her pillow and sighed. She was dreaming Tony took her to Venice and she did not want to wake up.

"Peppy…"

Her eyes shot open when she felt her bed sink behind her. She sat up quickly and looked to her left to see Tony awake and dressed, smiling at her.

"Tony?" She frowned. She couldn't figure out why he was in her apartment or better yet, how he got in.

"It's nearly ten, Pep. If we want to go to the museum before it gets dark, I think we should get going." He smiled.

"Museum?" She asked still drowsy.

"Yeah, come on! They don't open it on Tuesday for just _anybody_," he smirked. He got off her bed and walked to the door. "Meet me in lounge. In about fifteen minutes preferably." With that said, he left.

Pepper stared at the door. That wasn't her door. She looked around and became aware she was not at her apartment. Her eyes widened when she realized she wasn't dreaming. She quickly hopped out of bed and rummaged through her bag. Grabbing a pair of jeans and a knit cotton shirt (she figured Tony would complain if she _didn't_ wear jeans), she quickly changed and put her hair up in a neat ponytail. A bit of makeup and she was ready with five minutes to spare.

She grabbed her bag and quickly made her way down the hall to find Tony waiting by the door.

"You look nice," he said with a smile. Sunglasses covered his eyes but Pepper had a vague idea of what they might be doing.

"So how much did it cost to get the museum open on Tuesday?"

She put on a pair of sunglasses of her own as they walked out the door with a polite nod from the receptionist, and she followed Tony down the narrow street.

"I have no idea." He replied as they passed by an array of people.

"What do you mean you have no idea?" She frowned.

"I left Gwen to do the dirty work. You can ask her how she got them to open for us when we get back. Now, I think we need to take a left." He added, turning and crossing a bridge.

She huffed, but didn't argue as she stared down at the water as they walked over it. She followed him to the end of the street where they stopped and grabbed an earlier lunch in a small restaurant. Afterwards they took a boat at and within minutes, they were in front of the museum.

"Mr. Stark, it is a pleasure." A middle-aged woman with a thick accent greeted them as they climbed off the boat.

"You must be Serafina Giordano. It is a delight to meet you in person," He said taking off his sunglasses and extending his hand. She took it and shook it lightly. "I cannot express my gratitude for letting us stop by on such short notice."

"It is no problem. I hope you and Ms. Potts enjoy your visit." She smiled, "Please, feel free to look around. I shall be in my office on the east side if you need anything." With another smile, she retreated back into the building.

"Well, shall we?" Tony smiled goofily, extending his arm. Pepper smiled back and took his arm.

As they reached the doors, in front of them was a black statue taller then both of them. Pepper let go of Tony and ran up to it taking off her glasses and staring at it in admiration.

"Why is there a statue of a naked guy on a horse in the front of this building?" Tony said as he stood beside her, staring at the black statue with a raised brow.

"That's _Angel of the City_, it's better in person," She said happily.

"Pepper, it's a guy with an abnormal erection on a horse. He looks like he wants to die," he added, tilting his head, "If I was naked on a horse, I would want to die too."

"But it's by Marini!" she defended.

"Martini? That makes sense… too many martini's can make you do strange things."

"At least let me enjoy this Tony. I know you hate art." She retorted, marching past the statue.

"Fine…" he grumbled.

This was for her, he told himself as he took one last look at the statue. He could never understand her obsession with art. He watched her study another statue to their left and he remembered the look of pure sadness she had when he told her he gave away his art collection. Now she was like a kid in a candy shop.

"Oh, lets go inside!" She ran up to him and dragged him inside.

She went up to each painting and took them in slowly, memorizing every detail and debating internally what the artist was trying to covey. She was in heaven.

Tony however, was bored out of his mind. Sure, they were nice paintings but they didn't hold his attention like they did Pepper. Not to mention, some were pretty strange. Instead he watched Pepper. It amazed him how she could stand perfectly still and stare with wide eyes.

"Okay, this is just creepy." He said, his face sporting a slightly disturbed look as he took in the picture she was looking at. The painting in front of them showed a green bird-like creature with a spear; two naked women, one of which sported a large boa on top of her head that became a cloak. "Are those eyes?" He asked, gapping at the top of the boa-thing.

"It's a classic of Max Ernest. _The Attirement of the Bride_ is all about the loss of innocence." She replied. "The birdman there, his arrow is pointing at the woman's lower region, giving forth the impression he's going to 'pierce' her innocence. This woman here in the corner," she pointed to what looked like a green blob in the right hand corner, "is the future woman pregnant and distorted. It's about the views of women and their roles."

"It's still creepy. I'll have nightmares for weeks," he pouted turning his back to it. "Which is why you should move in with me. You'll keep the nightmares away, won't you?" He grinned.

"You're not going to let that die are you?" she asked smirking, stepping over to look at the other painting.

"Nope." He glanced over her shoulder and said, "Looks like scribbles." She rolled her eyes. She knew Tony was trying to annoy her.

"Why did you bring me here if you're just going to complain?"

"I'm not complaining, I'm merely expressing my opinion. I'm not allowed to say this looks like scribbles?" He crossed his arms.

"Yes, you can say it looks like scribbles… amateur." She added the last part with a shake of her head.

"Oh, so now you're Ms. Art Historian. So, Ms. Art Historian," he teased playfully, "teach me what the deep meaning of this painting is." She glanced at him skeptically.

"This, is a Jackson Pollock. It's called _Circumcision. _I'll let you figure out the rest." She patted him on the shoulder and walked off. Tony's jaw dropped a little and his face scrunched as he turned away.

"What is with all creepy sex orientated themes!" he yelled jokingly. "The nightmares, Pepper! The nightmares."

She smirked, "It's not creepy, Tony, it's surrealism, cubism, and most importantly total creative expression."

"Well I'll creatively express myself outside. I'll take Mr. 'I-Want-To-Die-From-Embarrassment' over Mr. 'Horny-Birdman'. Come and get me when you're done."

She frowned as she watched him walk out. She stood there for a moment by the wall and went outside to find him leaning against a pillar.

"We can go." She said, taking his hand. "Thank you."

"Pepper, go back inside. That's only half the exhibit."

"I know, but I also know you're not enjoying yourself. It's not a date if you don't enjoy yourself and I can't enjoy it without you."

Tony instantly felt both guilty and extremely happy. It was an odd combination.

"I am enjoying myself," he said, and pulled her back into the museum. "I love the faces you make when you look at the pictures."

"Paintings," she corrected.

"Same thing."

Together, (and begrudgingly on Tony's part) they spent the rest of the afternoon looking at paintings. Mrs. Giordano found them and showed them around filling in what Pepper left off when telling Tony about the paintings and statues. By the time it was four, Tony and Pepper said their goodbyes. However, instead of walking to the hotel, Tony lead them to the a street that connected to the roadway that lead to the mainland.

"Um, where are we going?" She asked as Tony held a cab.

"The airport. Well, dinner first then the airport." He said simply getting into the cab. Pepper stood on the sidewalk and stared at him in disbelief.

"What about our things?" She said in a high-pitch tone.

"Already taken care of," he winked. "Now get in, our driver is getting impatient."

"Who got our things?" she scooted in beside him as he told the driver where to go.

"Don't worry about it. I had it taken care of."

"Where are we going then?"

"It's a surprise."

"You know, I'm starting to like your surprises." She leaned over and gave him a kiss then pulled back and snuggled against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Do I get a guess?"

"Think about the first place you guessed the first time." He whispered down at her.

"Paris!" she gasped looking back up at him with a grin.

"Paris," he said, giving her another but much slower kiss.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. FYI I made up the Mrs. Giordano character. I have no idea who the curator is for the Peggy G. Museum. Anyways, remember flames are used to help burn sacrifices to the Greek Gods! **


	5. Ch 4: From Paris With Love

**Three**

_**Chapter 3: From Paris with Love**_

**Sorry this took so long. Tony and Andrew started fighting for attention and by the time I got them both put in corners for a time-out, the damage been done and my mind was on shut down for repairs. That is my excuse for the writers block anyways. =) **

**I'm doing my best not to mess up Paris too much, so if things seem vague as to where they are it's because I don't want another Venice incident (which I will revise… eventually -dons shifty eyes-). **

**I also have NO idea whether or not Pepper has ever been to the place listed below. If she has, I'm sorry and maybe we can pretend she hasn't? =)**

**This is the last chappy! At least till the epilogue. I was at work when the best idea EVER hit me and I was like 'oh yea, that's totally how I'm ending it.' So yea, it's gonna be great… hint: involves abuse of author power. **

* * *

"Really?" Pepper as they walked down the street.

She occasionally glanced into the windows of the local stores, their names and displays written in French. She was extremely excited when Tony told her they had no plans, they would just enjoy Paris for the day. They had been so many times for business but never had the time to actually _look_ at Paris. It was warm out, so she dressed in one of the long cotton sundresses from her suitcase and thankfully, it wasn't windy outside.

"But it's so… overrated." She added.

"Oh come on, Pep!" Tony exclaimed. "Have you even been there?"

"Well, no-"

"Then case closed." He smiled victoriously.

"It'll be crowded," She frowned.

"You've been around me too long," he smirked, "A little crowd never hurt anyone."

"Oh, so it was my imagination when you nearly were stampeded last year at that convention?"

"Which convention?"

"Any of them, Tony." Pepper made her '_I know what's best'_ face. "As soon as someone recognizes you, it's like everyone and their mother show up."

"I can't help it if I'm that attractive," He smiled playfully which made Pepper roll her eyes.

"Tony, I'm being serious." She stopped at the corner of where the sidewalks meet another street and crossed her arms.

"So am I. You're making it extremely difficult to take you out, Ms. Potts." He stepped closer to her. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you don't like being around me."

"Now you're being arrogant."

"Just trust me," He whispered and kissed her on the forehead.

"Lucky for you, that's getting easier," She smiled and looked up at him from under her lashes.

She took his hand and crossed the street. It was strange, walking down the sidewalk hand in hand with Tony. It was as if they were normal, everyday people whose biggest worry was whether they left the lights on when they left the house. For a moment, they were just Pepper and Tony. They weren't Pepper _Potts_ and Tony _Stark_ and Iron Man and all the other things that made their life not so normal. The world wasn't waiting on them to come try to save the day. It was just an ordinary day.

"You know what?" she asked, wrapping herself around his arm and leaning on his shoulder as the walked further down the walkway.

"What's that?"

"We haven't heard from Happy or what's her name? Gem?"

"Gwen," Tony laughed.

"Yea, you think everything's alright?" She lifted her head up and looked at him with honest concern.

"They're fine. I trust them."

"But you barely know that girl." She went back to just holding his hand.

She didn't want to admit it but she was slightly jealous. After being his PA for over ten years, she was replaced. Granted she was promoted and then quit of her own choosing, but it still bothered her. As if reading her mind, Tony looked over at her and smirked.

"You're jealous."

"Jealous?" She tilted her head up a little, "about what?"

"If you really want you're old job back, I can fire her." He smiled at the scowl that she sported.

"Tony please," She waved her free hand as if dismissing the thought. "Why would I want my old job back? I like bossing you around as your girlfriend a whole lot better than I did as your assistant."

"Touché," he smiled despite himself. It was probably because he personally preferred the bossy girlfriend to the bossy PA any day. "Well, would you like me to check on them?" He added after a brief pause.

"Honestly, yes I would like you too. No calls in two days? Even I had to check in at least once when you were away."

"Oh, that's only because you couldn't handle not hearing my voice."

He quickly regretted saying that when Pepper hit him with her free hand on the arm. It wasn't a hard hit but a hit nonetheless.

"More like you're a five-year-old in a grown man's body who is completely incapable of going for ten minutes without causing trouble." While her tone was playful, her face said a different story.

"I won't argue with you," he told her, changing the subject. "Let me borrow your phone."

"Where's your-"

"I left it in Malibu," he said, stopping her before she could finish her sentence.

"You left it?"

"I left it."

"Tony, you never leave Mini-JARVIS anywhere."

"_Mini-JARVIS_? You named it Mini-JARVIS?" Tony couldn't stop laughing as Pepper blushed.

"Well, it _is_ a portable JARVIS… I just thought…" She huffed as her face turned scarlet, and let go of his hand to cross her arms. "That's not the point. Why did you leave it?"

"I didn't want distractions."

Pepper stopped in the middle of the walk and stared at Tony, who was now stopping to look back at her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

She shook her head and walked up to him. Of course, it wasn't just _nothing_. She was impressed. Impressed and something else she couldn't describe. He literally left the world behind to enjoy only a few days with her. That was something.

"Well, can I borrow your phone?" He asked again.

"Sure," she rummaged through her bag and handed over her phone.

"You know how long it's been since I used a simple phone?" He smiled as he tried to remember the numbers to his new assistant's cell. "I hope this is right." He added in a mutter.

Pepper reached over and put it on speaker so she could hear. It rang five times before there was an answer.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end was huffy and slightly strained.

Tony and Pepper glanced at each other.

"It's me," Tony said. "You alright? You sound… out of breath."

"Oh, I… I'm walking my dog." Gwen said quickly. "Don't worry, Happy is over at your place holding down the fort." Pepper could have sworn her laugh at the end was forced.

"Dog? I didn't know you had a dog." Tony said raising a brow,

"Well, it's really my boyfriend's dog. She's a German Shepherd, and when she gets going she doesn't stop."

Tony looked over at Pepper but didn't say anything. Something wasn't right and they both knew it. Then suddenly, there was a crash."What was that?" Pepper and Tony said in unison.

"Sally, leave that squirrel alone!" It sounded as if Gwen lowered the phone. The next words were closer, but just as quickly said. "Look, I got to go. Sally is fighting me to get into someone else's yard. Everything is fine. Don't worry. See you soon!"

There was a click, leaving Tony and Pepper staring at the phone.

"Was it just me, or was that a little strange?" Tony asked, handing Pepper back her phone.

"It was strange," she agreed, sticking it back in her bag. "But it makes sense. I used to walk my neighbor's dog when I was younger. That animal was a beast and chased everything in sight. Imagine an eleven-year-old being tugged behind an overactive Lab."

"Poor Pepper," he said, laughing at the image. "But Pep," he added in a more serious tone, "she doesn't have a boyfriend, let alone one with a dog."

"How do you know that?" she gave him another _explain…now _look.

"First day, Happy started hitting on her. It was rather funny actually. She hit him… literally."

"And you left them alone?"

"Left a huge bruise. The girl hits like a boxer."

"And you left them alone." Pepper repeated.

"They're big kids now Mommy, they can take care of themselves." Tony teased.

"Whatever."

* * *

"I feel like a tourist," Pepper grumbled as they weaved through the throng of people.

Even though the sun had set, there was still a slight crowd. After walking about Paris all day, she was tired. Nevertheless, Tony insisted they wait until nightfall to go visit the landmark they had discussed earlier.

"I hear it's much better lit up," he said on their way back to the hotel that afternoon.

Now here they stood, in front of Paris' most notable attraction: The Eiffel Tower and he was right. It was better lit up at night.

"I know, isn't it fun?" he said without a hint of sarcasm.

She rolled her eyes but smiled all the same. Only Tony would find joy in playing average tourist. She didn't blame him; he didn't grow up with dreams of being famous or fighting to get out into the world. He was already there, famous and with the world as his playground before he was old enough to walk. Besides, she secretly found it cute that he wanted to do things the 'average' way.

"Aren't you glad you trust me?" He grinned.

Pepper tilted her head back and stared straight up the Eiffel Tower. In truth, it was a magnificent piece of art and the architecture was elegant and graceful. She always wanted to see it up close as she was now but never found the time.

"Yes." She said after a moment and looking over at Tony who was beside her.

They held each other's gaze for a moment, and Pepper could feel herself blush. He wasn't talking, but he said everything he had to with the light in his eyes. Before she could turn away, he closed the little distance between them and kissed her.

The next few seconds felt like forever as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. It still didn't seem real and Pepper was constantly wondering when she'd wake up. That moment, however, she didn't want time to move. She liked right were she was. Tony finally pulled back but only enough to remove his lips from hers.

"I love you," he whispered and willed every ounce of truth he could into those words.

Because he did love her. Tony loved her much more than she knew. The only thing he regretted was not realizing and telling her until it was almost too late. He swore once he knew he wasn't going to die, he never let that happen again.

"I know you do," She tried to say arrogantly but failed.

"So," he smiled, stepping back to take her hand. "Shall we go up?"

"Sure."

* * *

**Urge, just so you know, it was REALLY difficult to write this fluff. I'm naturally allergic to plain romantic fluff, which is also why it took this long to get it out. **

**I know it's short but I've waited WAY too long to post so… sorry.**

**I didn't know the proper term for Tony's gadget so I made up a name. Don't bash me too much, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I'm happy to have it posted =)**


	6. Epilogue

**Three**

_**Epilogue**_

**YAY! I'M DONE! I couldn't help myself so I went ahead and uploaded this anyways. But I'm done! If you knew me, you would realize what an accomplishment this is. Sure, it's only six chapters but to someone who never finishes what she starts, its more like fifteen.**

_**Anyway**_**… I would like to take time and thank all my readers and reviewers. You keep me writing and helped me improve (I think) on my skills. I hope you enjoyed this ficcy as much as I did. There may or may not be a side story to this, depending on if I can make a plot and plausible fight scenes. **

**I don't own Iron Man. Gwen maybe, but not Iron man. Oh, and can you spot abuse of author power? =P if so, I hope it makes you laugh!**

* * *

Pepper sighed as the jet prepared to land. She was happy to be home. Sure, several days in Europe with Tony Stark was the best several days of her life but there was nothing like being _home._ In addition, they'd find out what was going on while she and Tony were away.

It wasn't until on the way back to the hotel that Tony began to act odd. He was distracted which meant he was thinking and he didn't look like he was enjoying where his thoughts were leading.

"Something isn't right." He told her when the doors to the elevator closed.

"What isn't right?"

"We called Gwen around one. It was around four a.m. on her end. Who answers the phone wide awake at four a.m.? Something isn't right."

"Maybe she and Happy were throwing that wild party you told them they could throw." She laughed as the door dinged and they stepped out.

"There wasn't any music," Tony frowned.

She glanced over at Tony as they walked down the hall and thought long and hard for about two seconds on whether she should say what she was thinking. She decided his reaction was worth it.

"Or maybe her and Happy put aside their differences and were having fun on the couch." She laughed loudly when she saw the look of disgust on his face.

"Virginia Potts that is the most disturbing thing I've ever heard!" He stuck out his tongue in a faux gag. "I think I would know if my employees were… I'm just going to pretend I never heard that and I hope I won't have nightmares tonight."

He paused and looked her over as they stopped at her room.

"Of course, you can stay with me to make sure I don't have nightmares." He said with a sly grin.

She rolled her eyes and took out her room key.

"No." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and slipped into her room.

"You complete me!" She heard him say through the door.

"Sure," She yelled back.

That afternoon, they left so they would arrive back at a decent time. All joking aside, she could tell he was still worried and baffled at the same time which meant he wasn't in the best of moods. Therefore, when they exited the jet and found Happy and Gwen waiting on them, they thought they would be able to put aside the strange encounter from the day before. They quickly realized they were wrong.

"What the hell happened?" Tony exclaimed as he and Pepper approached Happy and Gwen waiting by the car.

He took his shades off to make sure he was actually seeing what he was seeing. Happy sported a bruise and several cuts on his face. If there was more, they couldn't tell from the suit he was wearing. Gwen didn't have any bruises but her lower left arm was wrapped thickly in gauze.

"I hope that didn't come from that dog," He added, noting Gwen's wrapped arm. She only lowered her eyes.

"Good to see you too," Happy smiled.

"Why are you two so…? You look like you've been a fight. Tell me you two didn't duke it out." Pepper said. Gwen stepped forward and took a deep breath.

"Mr. Stark, please don't be mad at me," she bit her lip and stared at the ground.

"Why would I be mad?" Tony raised a brow.

"Well…" She paused and pulled something out of her pocket, but kept it by her side. "There was an attempt to breach your lab yesterday-"

"And you didn't call me? Why didn't JARVIS notify me? I told him to call Pepper if something happened."

"I told him not too." She pushed her glasses back up.

"You told him not too! And he listened?" Tony ran a hand through his hair and Pepper grabbed him to keep him from starting to pace because that is what he did when he processed bad news.

"It wasn't anything we couldn't handle." Happy chimed in.

"Nothing _I_ couldn't handle," Gwen looked over at him. Happy frowned and muttered something about women these days.

"Nothing you couldn't handle? What if they killed you?" Tony yelled angrily wrenching free from Pepper.

"Tony's right." Pepper focused on Happy, not that she wasn't concerned for Gwen but she knew Happy better and therefore was openly more concerned for him. "Do you know who tried to break in?"

"Mr. Stark, I'm sorry you're angry," Gwen said ignoring Pepper's question, "but I can assure you the situation was taken care of with minimal damage to both us and the vicinity."

"I vouch for them."

A voice came from behind them. Tony and Pepper turned to see Agent Coulson standing behind them.

"Some how, I'm not surprised." Tony grumbled. "Why are you here?"

"I figured I'd need to back up my agent." He gazed behind them, "She's a great agent, but still new at the game."

"You're kidding." Pepper said, looking disbelievingly at Gwen.

"S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Gwendolyn McKinley," She flipped open the badge in her hand and smiled apologetically.

"You just got out of college!" Tony said.

"I said school; training school, Mr. Stark," she lowered her hand, gave another apologetic smile. "Please don't be mad at me."

"I knew you didn't do a background check," Pepper said to Tony.

"I did too. I just didn't think to do an extensive one." Tony retorted hastily. He turned back to Coulson. "So you sent me a babysitter. I'm slightly offended."

"I am not a babysitter!" Gwen scowled, "I'm just a well trained assistant."

"Assassin maybe," Happy scoffed. "Not as bad ass as Natalie, though. Ow." Gwen hit him on the shoulder. "There's a bruise there."

"I know. I put it there if you recall." She turned her nose up triumphantly.

"Tony, think about it." Coulson smirked, "Do you really believe a normal person could be _your_ assistant?" He saw Pepper scowling at him, "No offense of course, Pepper. But now that you're Iron Man, Tony, your staff is going to need to be a bit more capable."

Tony sighed and looked over at Gwen.

"Well this explains a lot; I did wonder how you got into Pepper's apartment so easily."

Gwen blushed and stared at the ground.

"I'm not going to ask." Coulson shook his head. "Now if you'll excuse me, I believe McKinley can take over and brief you on what's going on."

"Problem's in the mid-west, still?" Tony asked.

"Greenland." Coulson and Gwen said in unison.

"Well, don't forget to write." Tony said sarcastically. Coulson refrained from rolling his eyes.

"I won't," he said instead and turned to walked away.

"Hey, does this mean that she'll be reporting my every move?" Tony asked. Coulson didn't turn around.

"No," he called back, "She's under you're contract now."

"Good," Tony grumbled. As soon as Coulson was out of sight, Gwen smiled.

"If it helps, even if I was supposed to, I wouldn't."

"What a rebel," Happy rolled his eyes.

"Oh hush," Gwen glared and then turned to Tony. "But, Mr. Stark, it's true." she said, her professional tone replaced with one that reminded them of an over excited school girl, "you're freakin Iron Man. Iron Man trumps all."

"At least you have faith in me," He said. He and Happy couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't know about you," Pepper said, opening the car door and climbing in. "But I want to go home."

"You know," Tony turned his attention to his new assistant as they got into the car, "you really don't seem the type."

"It's the glasses." Gwen stated walking around to the passenger front. Once everyone was in, Happy started the car and Tony shook his head.

"No… you just don't have that typical agent 'I'll kill you' look."

"I have to agree," Pepper added.

"Ha!" Happy scoffed looking into the rearview mirror, "Just mention Natalie." Gwen snapped her head to the left and glared at Happy. "See?"

"Just be lucky you're driving," She spat.

"Okay children, play nice," Tony smiled and then added, "So the break-in?"

"Right," Gwen took off her glasses and began to wipe them with a cloth from her bag she left in the front seat. "Oh, where do I start…?"

* * *

**Once again, thanks for reading and sticking with me! Without readers, there are no writers. **

**XOXO- Fin.**


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